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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. key — in music
  3. court — for sport
  4. stand — to bear
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cell — a phone
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. key — the most important part
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. court — of a king
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lean — to bend
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. court — of law
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com